We’ll make you feel right at home

With more than 40 major data centers already calling it home, Québec is a strategic location for the Americas. In addition to that classic Canadian friendliness we’re famous for, companies set up shop here to enjoy:
Build on solid ground
Québec enjoys a stable political and environmental climate. And when it comes to privacy laws, there is a particular emphasis on those under both federal and provincial legislation.
- Canada ranks among the top 10 countries in terms of democracy (World Audit, 2018).
- It is protected from most natural disasters, with low risks of lightning strikes, flooding and forest fires.
- Québec’s constitutional and legislative framework meets the strictest requirements in terms of privacy and the protection of personal information. Any company or person established in Canada enjoys protection under Canadian law.
Sound exactly like the safe haven your data center needs? We thought so.
We connect you to more than just the grid
Hydro-Québec introduces you to strong, reputable partners who will work with you to see your project through from start to finish. Think financial partners like Investissement Québec, MESI (Québec department of economy, science and innovation), Revenu Québec, Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec (Québec pension fund) and the Québec department of finance, as well as active business community partners like Montréal International, Québec International and chambers of commerce.
We help you find the savings
In addition to Hydro-Québec’s low rates and options to help you save, the Québec government is one of the most proactive in the world when it comes to business support. To facilitate your search, here are some of the main incentives that could further lower your prices, if you are eligible.
Discover how fine your bottom line can look
Make Québec your data center’s home base and plug into a host of potential benefits:*
- A 15-year tax holiday in Québec equivalent to up to 15% of invested capital, for investments of over C$100 million
- Quick depreciation for IT equipment (typically fully expensed over a 3-5 year period)
- A full rebate on the Québec and federal sales taxes (QST and GST) on the majority of purchases and expenses (not including QST on the purchase of electricity), for example, on all equipment purchased, including servers and cooling equipment.
- Property taxes that are payable only on the building and not on its contents
- ESSOR Program (jointly administered by Investissement Québec and MESI, the Québec department for the economy, science and innovation) supports investment projects in Québec. Financial assistance with a maximum term of 10 years in the form of:
- A loan or loan guarantee and/or
- A loan guarantee covering as much as 70% of a net loss
Wait! There’s more...
In Québec you’ll find considerable tax incentives that support the development of a value-added ecosystem for data centers:
- E-Business Development Credit (EBRD), which provides a 24% credit up to a maximum of C$20,000, plus a 6% non-refundable tax credit for IT companies (maximum C$5,000)
- A considerable tax credit for major digital transformation projects, which represents 24% of salaries up to C$20,000 per year per employee
* These incentives and programs are managed and administered by the government of Québec. Eligibility requirements apply and programs are subject to change.
Got your attention? Let’s talk!
1 888 29-HYDRO (1 888 294-9376)
We’re open Monday to Friday, 8:30–4:30, EST.
datacenter@hydro.qc.caOur experts will walk you through the entire process, from the draft-design phase
to integration to getting your data center up and running.